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Eloise

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Eloise
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I have a Nikon D750 and while I still enjoy photography with it, I’m no longer in love with it. I find it heavy to carry all the time on the off chance so only take it when I’m really in the right mood, which invariably means I don’t have it when I see something really exciting.

So what to do?

Bearing in mind I’m not flush so I can’t just go out and buy a Fuji X-T4 or whatever new and run alongside the Nikon gear… I’ve been considering selling/trading in my Nikon gear for either a Fuji X-T2 w/XF 16-55 or even an Olympus OM-D 5 Mk III (or OM-D 1 Mk II) w/12-45 f4 Pro. (Adding a 70-200 and something even longer at a later date).

Has anyone done similar, did they regret it, love it? Generally I can go and look (and buy) in LCE so ergonomics isn’t really something I want opinion on, but image quality, etc.

I take photos of a range of subject matters mostly “nature” but also pet photography and occasionally motorsports.

Thanks
 
I run a Nikon FF system alongside a Fuji crop one and pick whichever system does what I want on the day. That's now almost always the Fujis! I shoot JPEG rather than raw and those from the Fujis are (IMO) nicer SOOC than the Nikon ones (or indeed any other camera I have.) Regrets? None. The 100-400 XF Fuji is great and works well with the 1.4x teleconverter.
 
I haven't quite done that, but I did sell a Fuji X-T20 and buy a bridge camera, which was due to funds. I did pine for the "better" camera for a while (and when money allowed ended up getting a much better bridge camera), but on the whole I'ev found that since I've learnt more about my camera and taken photos with it which I'm really pleased with, it has kind of eased the sting.

EDIT: Also, the Fuji XF 18-55mm lens is absolutely fantastic :)
 
Buy a second hand M 4/3 ( something less than 4 years old as anything older might be so bad as to put you off) and see how you get on with it before selling your D750. I have both FF and APS-C and take whichever suits my mood/requirements on the day.
 
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I used to have Canon gear and sold almost all that I had apart from my 5D3 & 24-105zoom.

I bought into Olympus and the above last of Canon gear never got used so sold that too!

If you get the E-M1 mk2 it will be a learning curve and I would recommend DxO Photolab software as that is game changer in handling noise .....and was pivotal in my choice to buy Olympus, compared to the Canon FF files.

If you can justify the mk3 that would likely be a better choice but the mk2 is good.

HTH :)

PS one key factor in changing was weight plus lack of reach (I had the Canon 100-400mm) for wildlife & birds.
 
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I had Canon DSLR's the last being a 5D but these days I have a Sony A7 which when used with a compact prime isn't significantly bigger or heavier than the MFT kit I also have. So that's one possibility, switch to a relatively small FF camera and stick to compact lenses. How about a Sony A7c? As well as some compact primes Sony also do a compact collapsible 28-60mm.

Other than sticking with FF, I'm not sure but will an APS-C system offer enough of a saving in bulk and weight to make the difference? MFT with it's smaller lenses might make for more savings and might be worth a look. The main difference between my A7 and MFT cameras is that MFT lacks a bit of DR but in less DR challenging conditions the image of quality of MFT is good although you'll struggle to get the razor thin DoF you can get with FF, if that's important to you.

Good luck choosing.
 
I have a FF Canon 5D mk IV which was too heavy so over 12 months ago bought a half frame ML Sony A6600. The Sony focussing is very fast and easy to use and the dynamic range is good (probably the most critical factor now). While the Sony is a little noisier at high ISO, it is easy to mange this with current software. I have not sold the Canon as I felt I could still use this for say studio sessions and have done so twice in this time. I am particularly impressed with the Sony for wild life (birds in flight) and sport. The weight of camera plus long zoom was 1/3 the weight with the Sony.

Dave
 
I went from Sony A7iii to Fuji Xpro3 and soon a XT3. Before the Sony I had an Olympus EM10. I never really got on with the Sony and went to Fuji for the film sims (I also like the art filters on the Olympus). Shoot JPEG and Raw but Raw is mainly fir backup. Don’t miss FF as for my use the difference isn’t enough and the colours from the Fuji are nice
 
I considered adding a fuji xt-3 and multiple lenses to run alongside my d750 but eventually opted to go down the Z series route. My f2.8 glass setup which I will keep and use when I need the wider aperture weighs in at about 3.2kg (nikon 24-70 f2.8, sigma sport 70-200 and tamron 17-35 f2.8-4), but i can cover the same focal ranges with the Z series using the 24-200 and tamron 17-35 and reduce the weight by about 2.25kg in the process. Means you can use adapted lenses while you transition to native glass and don't have to lose full frame if you were to go for the Z5/Z6. What this setup doesn't give you that the fuji will is a more compact setup, which may well be something you want. My setup has reduced in size more through not having to carry three lenses with the lighter setup, rather than because the lenses/body are significantly smaller than F mount
 
I've had Fuji cameras on and off since the release of the X100 series quite a while ago now. I've also dabbled with Nikon as I much prefer the files from the Nikon to Fuji cameras.

I'm settled now with the Z6 I have along with a couple of zooms and prime lenses. The price of the Z6 is dropping steadily and you would be able to pick one up for a reasonable price now if that floats your boat.

There's nothing I'd go back to Fujifilm for now tbh.
 
I use a mix of FF and crop including Olympus,Fuji, Nikon.

Fuji JPEGS are great and the ability to change them in camera, I do not think is matched by any other system.

Someone said "look at used" since the new OM S OM1 has come out it has driven down the prices of used Olympus gear, so if your on a tight budget, could be worth a look at.

As for ergonomics, I would say the Fuji is better as it has most of the controls you need on the outside of the camera, the old retro look, but they are customisable so they can be altered to to how you like.

Image quality, to be honest there is not a massive amount in it, if all you're going to do it show images online, then any will work just as well.
If you printing, again unless you are printing MASSIVE FF, Crop or M4/3 will give you really nice prints.
 
Weight the main problem . After suffering heart failure 3 years ago I had to reduce carried weight . I sold all my Nikon FF and crop bodies and lenses and switched to Olympus my omd-1mkiii and 100-400 lens is a very versatile kit that covers 97.5% of my needs and importantly weighs all up 2kg .. no bags ,no tripods or monopods due to water proofing and I.b.I.s worth a look at
 
Having sold all of my heavy Nikon bodies and lenses I now use an Olympus OM-D 5 Mk III with a choice of Sigma 30 f1.4, 56 f1.4 or Olympus 75 f1.8.
I just love this kit, it is so light and portable I can have it with me whenever I want and carrying it with the oft used 56mm fitted is a breeze, I NEVER think that I can't be bothered to take it with me and just have it on a neck cord ready to use. :)
 
I sold all my Canon gear (5Dmk2+a range of L glass) as it was too heavy and as a result it rarely got used.
I switched to Fuji ( XT-1 and XE-2) and a mixture of XF and XC lenses. My pick up walkabout kit is the XE-2 +27mm pancake and a Godox 350 Flash.
It suits me fine , I sometimes get GAS for an XT-3/4 or an XH -1 or 2 but the ones I have suit me fine.
The only bit I miss about the Canon gear is the rarely used TS-E 24mm it was just so sharp and creative but hey ho you can't have everything.
 
We have FF and M43 gear. I'd say that you may be happy with the smaller format if you usually take pictures in reasonable lighting, don't pixel-peep and don't rely on shallow depth of field for subject separation. For landscape and street work there's not a huge difference on the surface between the two formats, at least until you start to push the limits of processing hard.
 
I had a Nikon D810 and lots of lenses back in 2017. I was in exactly the same position as @Eloise and found myself not bothering to take it with me because of the weight. I sold all my Nikon gear and switched to Olympus M43. My first camera was the OM-D E-M5 mkII and a 12-40mm pro zoom. It was a totally different world. Took it everywhere. The image quality was superb. I have moved on a bit and now have more lenses and upgraded the body this year to the OM-1.
The image stabilisation on the Olympus cameras is class leading.
 
It was the one reason I went with a Fuji APSC over DSLR. My old Nikon 3400 kit was 1.5kg with twin lens. Moving to a 7200 and better lens doubled the weight. I’m about 2 kg for 3 lens, which in a rucksack I can walk around all day with
 
I went from Nikon D810 to an Xt2 (now an H1), and haven`t regretted it one bit. Yes the H1 is still quite chunky compared to the T2. But still a damn sight smaller and lighter than the D810.
Image quality, I'm happy with it, and can`t see me going away from Fuji. I also can`t really say that I miss FF either.
 
I agree with Alan, Sony FF cameras are surprisingly light and as said if you stick to primes or a small zoom they're very manageable, even for a disabled guy like myself.

Other than that... Don't go for anything with a sensor smaller than 20mp, you'll notice the drop in resolution.
 
Eloise said:
I have a Nikon D750 and while I still enjoy photography with it, I’m no longer in love with it. I find it heavy to carry all the time on the off chance so only take it when I’m really in the right mood, which invariably means I don’t have it when I see something really exciting.

So what to do?
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The D750 isn't heavy. Put a lighter lens on it. ;)
 
I find very little difference between my canon full frame and Fuji kit but when I went from full frame to m4/3 I did notice a difference. I regularly use my Fuji along side by canon when I'm shooting weddings.
 
stumac said:
I find very little difference between my canon full frame and Fuji kit but when I went from full frame to m4/3 I did notice a difference. I regularly use my Fuji along side by canon when I'm shooting weddings.
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I do like MFT but compared to my Sony A7 there is a drop in dynamic range. In a lot of situations that wont matter as the light wont be too challenging but in some others where there is a greater variation it's rather obvious for example I take a lot of pictures on this walk...

hmk4uoz.jpg


... with high bushes and trees and relative shadow and patches of light and with MFT the skies blow easily but with my A7 it's much less likely to happen. That difference may only be a stop or so but it can show up in challenging conditions and of course if you protect the sky the shadows may need to be lifted more than you'd like.

The differences in DoF don't bother me so much and indeed they can help as with MFT I can shoot wide open to f4 and that'd be equivalent to xx to f8 with FF so I get to use a faster shutter speed.

Good luck choosing Eloise.
 
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Kind of similar here. My needs aren't complex and I got a bit fed up carrying a heavy bag of gear and trying to decide what to take when I wanted to travel lighter.

The process I began was finding who does equipment trials and just taking advantage of them. So to that end I've trialed Fuji for a weekend and Canon and Olympus. I went for camera and standard zoom combos rather than anything exotic and it was quite enlightening. It's an entirely different experience actually using the gear than just reading reviews and was very helpful and cost nothing, which is great because I'm a cheapskate.

I ended up buying into M43 and Olympus and a two kit zoom which is both light and small enough to easily fit into most bags. In my case it all goes into a very old Karrimor RF3 which slips into messenger bags or a rucksack very easily. The whole lot weighs about 1.2 Kg (EM5 III, 12-40 F2.8 pro and 40-150 F4 Pro giving a 24-300 equivalent range), which is less than my old 70-200
 
At one time or another I've had Nikon FF''s, Fuji APSC and Olympus M4/3. Currently using an X-T4 but have had an X-T2 in the past and an E-M5iii as well as it happens.

All three formats are 'good enough' for most applications IMO. Obviously there are extreme situations where you can see the the benefits of the bigger sensor and you can certainly see if you go looking for it, but looking at images at normal sizes, you'd be really hard pushed to see differences. In low light, the benefits of a bigger sensor are obvious but in the case of the E-M5 iii in particular this is partly countered in certain situations by incredible IBIS system that means you might be hand holding the camera for 1s plus exposures so the ISO can come right down. No use for moving subjects though.

The E-M5iii is a fantastic camera but I fell out a bit with it over one or two things. Firstly, I didn't find the AF system as reliable as I'd hoped it would be for moving subjects. But the really annoying one is that all customisation was wiped when you carry out a firmware upgrade. Other cameras in the Olympus line up allowed you to export a settings file to avoid this. The problem is made far worse by the fact that Olympus cameras are ridiculously customisable so, no exaggeration, it could take me a couple of hours to sort out my menus after a firmware upgrade and I'd still be snagging it for days afterwards. Just not acceptable for me. But other than that, I honestly thought it was a near perfect camera for me and some of the m4/3 lenses are just sublime.

I love my current Fuji set up and it's probably the goldilocks solution for me. X-T2 is a great camera. Fuji files require a bit more care when editing, especially compared to FF and an X-T2 is quite a bit bulkier than an E-M5 but I have very few complaints. Fuji X is a really well developed system now and there isn't much I have to complain about. Image quality from the APSC 24/26mp sensor is closer to FF than it is to m4/3. I'm not sure why that is the case but there seems a bigger jump in IQ going from m4/3 to Fuji. As I say, both good enough though.

I couldn't go back to the bulk of an FF DSLR now. I would have maybe been curious about some of the lighter FF mirrorless cameras but in all honesty, I like the Fuji interface far too much to actually consider a change.
 
I ran a full Canon set up a few years back. &d2 & 6D (so both FF & crop), and a number of L lenses. Like yourself, I got fed up with the weight, and would the camera in the car half the time. I jumped ship to Fuji and have never looked back. I now have an X-T2 & an X-T3, and the Fuji glass is excellent.

I did a p/x with LCE (I think) and got what I wanted out of it. I kept the 6D & 2 lenses "just in case", but after 6 months of no use they also went in a P/X for a T3 and some bits. Personally, I enjoy shooting more with the X bodies, they have a very "analogue" feel about them.
 
I went from Canon FF to Fuji, my back thanked me for that decision on many occasions.
Left Fuji and went to m4/3 when the former categorically stated they would never produce a body with stabilisation.
Under a year later they did, but I had already sold up and switched by then.
Happy enough with Olympus and Panasonic gear, but think my first choice would still be Fuji.
Retired now so not got the cash or inclination to change again, also still miffed they told such a whopping great fib
 
Love my G9 MFT set up. I tend to just leave the 12-60 Panasonic Leica lens that it came with on it and that covers most of the pictures I take. I do have the 40-175 (IRC) but don't use it all that often. The camera isn't much different size wise to my S5 but the lenses are smaller.
 
I have a Canon 80D and a 5D3. Because most of the lenses are the same, the final package size is not really that different. And weight wise, then it's only the body that differs as the glass is the same.

Because the difference is so slight, if I'm taking the 'big' camera, I always take the 5D. The quality is better. I've had several crop sensor bodies and they all produce more noise than their FF counterparts. BUT, this can easily be handled in LR.

So I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm not sure that just moving from FF to just a Crop body (as per thread title) will achieve what you want.

I've also bought a little Canon PowerShot G5 X - which I love. The focus system isn't as good, and nor is the final output, but for most of the type of stuff I shoot, it's more than adequate. I'm certainly thinking about offloading the 80D and just having a BIG and a small camera.
 
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The OP doesn't seem to have been back since 7th May so I don't know if this will be of any interest...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP0hDEEFyM


The A7c isn't for me for a number of reasons but it could be interesting for anyone wanting a very compact FF camera especially if the 24mm f2.8 or 40 or 50mm f2.5 G would also be of interest as these are very compact but good lenses. I have the 24mm f2.8 G and it is IMO a very good lens although there is some distortion which the lens profile seems to deal with without any penalty I can see.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB_W0BLDwyc
 
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Went from a Sony 6300 to a Sony A7R3 - not much bigger apart from the lens, but that’s just the lens I have, plenty of smaller ones available at a lighter weight
 
I went into LCE with a big heavy bag of Canon kit and came out with a much lighter bag with an X-T2 and 18-55 kit. I later added the 23f2 and 55-200. For wildlife/motorsport, I would probably go with the 70-300 and in fact I am tempted to change.

I definitely do not regret the move, even when I had the opportunity to borrow a 5D set up like my old one - it felt so heavy and cumbersome to use.
 
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